An iconic Fukushima resort embraces foreign ownership while balancing revival and remembrance.
In Iwaki City, Fukushima, palm trees sway beneath a glass dome at Spa Resort Hawaiians. For decades, this tropical-themed park has offered a slice of paradise to families across Japan. Yet beneath its bright exterior lies a story of endurance. After years of natural disasters, pandemic shutdowns and financial strain, the beloved resort has found new ownership and a new direction.
Since opening in 1966, Hawaiians has drawn crowds with its sprawling pools, hot springs and signature hula dance performances. Each year, about one million visitors come to watch the 43-member troupe known as the Hula Girls perform their three daily shows. “You can experience Hawaii whilst staying in Japan,” one guest says with a smile.
But behind the smiles, challenges have mounted. The Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 forced the park to close for more than six months. A decade later, the COVID-19 pandemic brought another closure lasting about three months. With business repeatedly halted, debt climbed sharply. By March 2024, Joban Kosan, the operator, owed around 28 billion yen (S$253 million).
“I could never go to the real Hawaii, so this place has always been my Hawaii,” says company president Hitoshi Sekine. “It holds all my family memories.” Sekine, who joined the company in 1990, became president in 2023, determined to preserve the spirit of the resort he grew up with.
Help arrived last year. In November, American investment fund Fortress Investment Group completed the purchase of Joban Kosan, securing more than 85 per cent of its shares. The firm, which manages assets exceeding seven trillion yen, had made headlines in Japan for acquiring Sogo and Seibu department stores in 2023.
“At first, there was concern,” says managing director Shunsuke Yamamoto, who led the acquisition. “But we are genuinely committed to bringing this resort back to life.”
A former backpacker who explored the world as a university student, Yamamoto says his fascination with hotels began while travelling. “When I was in Europe, I saw so many distinctive hotels that left a deep impression on me,” he says. After working in finance, he joined Fortress in 2011 and went on to found MyStays Hotel Management, now one of Japan’s largest hospitality groups.
Under his leadership, Fortress has purchased and renovated 184 resorts and hotels across Japan, ranking sixth in the industry by number of properties. “There are still many wonderful resorts,” Yamamoto says. “However, due to a lack of investment, many are forced to fall dormant or shut down entirely, so supporting them is a vital mission for us.”
When Yamamoto first walked through Hawaiians after the acquisition, he saw potential amid dated interiors. “The entrance feels like the ground floor of a baseball stadium,” he observed, noting the clutter of small shops. In the dining area, the buffet featured fried prawns and chips aimed at families. “It looks more like a staff cafeteria,” he remarked. Online reviews agreed: “The food lacked a Hawaiian touch.”
To address this, Fortress appointed chef and menu developer Kei Tokunaga, who had renewed restaurants at other group hotels. “The concept is Hawaii,” he says. “Guests should leave feeling they have truly experienced it.”
Tokunaga and Yamamoto travelled to Honolulu in February to meet WATG, an architectural firm known for designing Hawaii’s most iconic hotels such as the Moana Surfrider and the Royal Hawaiian. Their goal was to capture an atmosphere true to the islands’ spirit. “We want to move away from clutter and create a space that truly feels Hawaiian,” says Sekine.
The discussions were not without tension. Sekine voiced concern about losing the family-friendly identity Hawaiians had nurtured for six decades. “This resort was built where nothing once stood,” he said. “That makes it an irreplaceable asset.”
The resort’s roots go back to the Joban coal mine, once the largest on Honshu. When the mine closed in the 1960s, the local community sought a new future and built the Joban Hawaiian Centre, the resort’s original form. Women from Iwaki became the first Hula Girls, a tradition that endures today. “The history of Hawaiians is the history of the Hula Girls,” says Misaki Komuro, a former dancer who now works in public relations. “I believe our history will not collapse.”
Still, change was unavoidable. Fortress pledged an investment of 11 billion yen, to be spent in stages until 2028, as part of a full-scale renovation of Hawaiians. The project includes refurbishing accommodation and entertainment facilities, adding a new tropical-style bar beside the pool, and extending the hula stage to bring audiences closer to the performance. “We used to think we had to do everything on our own,”
Sekine says. “But now that we are part of a group, I realise there is so much more we can do.”
The reforms began with one controversial decision. For years, the annual pass had allowed locals unlimited visits for 44,000 yen a year. “To be honest, the annual pass had become cheaper than a bathhouse,” says Yamamoto. “It was no longer viable as a business.” The pass ended in March 2025, sparking disappointment among regular visitors. “I come here every day,” one elderly guest says. “Maybe that’s why I live so long. I soak in these big baths.”
To maintain ties with the community, a new discount programme was introduced in April for Iwaki residents, offering half-price admission. “It should remain a place locals can use in daily life,” says Sekine. “But at the same time, it is not a public bath.”
The revival of Hawaiians is part of a wider strategy. Around the same time, Fortress acquired another landmark: the Phoenix Seagaia Resort in Miyazaki. Built during Japan’s economic boom, Seagaia once symbolised the luxury of the bubble era but later went bankrupt. Under Fortress, it has been refocused toward families. A go-kart circuit and children’s pool have been added, and summer occupancy rates have risen by nearly 20 per cent compared with two years ago.
In June, Yamamoto brought Hawaiians’ Hula Girls to Seagaia for a joint performance, bridging the two resorts under the same group. “Watching members of the same group progress gives me hope for Hawaiians too,” Komuro says.
Back in Iwaki, changes are already visible. The resort’s buffet now features authentic dishes such as garlic shrimp and loco moco. “The garlic shrimp tastes just like the one I had in Hawaii,” a guest says. “The concept feels much clearer now.”
Hawaiians has also launched guided tours of nearby coal mine heritage sites, allowing visitors to experience the region’s origins firsthand. “Now we understand their roots better,” a participant says.
When Sekine and Yamamoto visited Iwaki City Hall to share progress, Mayor Hiroyuki Uchida welcomed the news. “For Iwaki citizens, Hawaiians is special and plays a very important role,” he said. “We are delighted that you are promoting these local treasures.”
The multi-year renovation, set for completion by January 2028, is more than a construction plan. For those who have worked at Hawaiians for decades, it marks a turning point — a chance to modernise without losing what made the resort special. “We’ve always grown together with the community,” Sekine says. “And as the world changes, that connection will continue to define who we are.”
